SUGENA has published Practical Report 2026 free of charge, arguing that data regulations, rather than technology, are the main barrier to collaboration with Chinese AI drug discovery companies. The report explains that even the digital transfer of genomic data may be subject to regulation and presents 3 designs for collaboration without moving the data.
The report China AI Drug Discovery Collaboration: Practical Report 2026, which identifies data regulations rather than technology as the biggest practical barrier when Japanese companies consider collaborating with Chinese AI drug discovery companies, has been made available free of charge on SUGENA's official website. It outlines the impact of China's three laws and includes a 7-item checklist of points to confirm during an initial inquiry.
At the heart of China's data regulations, the report notes that the Personal Information Protection Law, Data Security Law and Regulations on the Administration of Human Genetic Resources apply in China, and that cases may arise in which even the digital transfer of genomic sequence data is subject to regulation. In some cases, a security review is required for genomic data covering more than 500 cases.
The report's distinguishing feature is its presentation of practical designs for establishing collaboration without moving the data. It introduces 3 design approaches: the site-fact model, federated learning and data clean rooms. These designs are intended to allow data processing to be completed in Japan while only the resulting outputs are transferred.
The report includes excerpts on the size and structural advantages of China's AI drug discovery market, the evolution and limitations of AI technology, the application of the three laws and practical decision-making, 3 approaches to designing collaboration without moving data, and the practical stage of domestically developed platforms. It can be downloaded free of charge from the company's website.